1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a battery; such as, a lead battery used as, e.g., a power source for an electric vehicle, and a battery suspending jig used to move a battery in a suspended state.
2. Description of the Relevant Art
The battery used as the power source for an electric vehicle includes a battery container having one side open, an electrolytic liquid stored in the battery container, a top lid which covers the opening in the upper surface of the battery container, and an electrode mounted on a lower surface of the top lid and immersed in the electrolytic liquid. Such battery is too heavy to be directly lifted by a human being. For this reason, it is conventional practice to carry out the attachment or detachment of the battery to and from a vehicle by hanging up the battery by a chain block or winch whereby a hook is brought into engagement with an engaging portion provided on an upper surface of the top lid, or a side of the battery container is clamped.
However, if the engaging portion is provided on the upper surface of the top lid, the height of the battery is increased. Also, there is a possibility that when the hook is brought into engagement with the engaging portion to lift the battery, the weights of the battery container and the electrolytic liquid are applied to the weld zone between the battery container and the top lid. Consequently, the sealability of the weld zone is reduced. In a case where a plurality of batteries are disposed adjacent one another and are to be lifted by clamping the sides of the battery containers of the batteries, it is necessary to provide a gap which permits a clamping member to be inserted between the adjacent batteries for opening or closing thereof. For this reason, the number of the batteries capable of being disposed in a limited space is decreased.
An Ni-MH battery has a structure in which a plurality of battery cells are integrally coupled together. In such a battery having the plurality of battery cells integrally coupled together, if special considerations for suspending the battery are not provided, it is however difficult to mount the battery on a vehicle.
The present invention has been accomplished with the above circumstances in view, and it is an object of the present invention to ensure that a heavy battery can be easily and reliably suspended and mounted on a vehicle.